Tool for manipulating lamp-socket parts



June3,193o. MARSH v 1,761,510

TOOL FOR MANIPULATING LAMP SOGKE);` PARTS v Filed Oct. 15, 1926 ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 192.50.

UNITED STATES ISIDORE WOLRSKY, OVFMOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK TOOL FOR MANIPULATING LAMP-SOCKET PARTS ApplicationV inea october 16,1926. serial No. 142,001. Y

The present invention relates to tools for manipulating lamp-socket parts and is morev The electrician is frequently krcalled upon in assembling and installing lighting fixtures or lighting equipment to attach suchlamp socketsvand sign receptacles to their supfV ports. The kit of tools contemplated by the present invention is arranged so that the electrician can carry with him a single handle and a number of tools or turning members which will facilitate installing the caps of brass shell lamp sockets on the supporting stems, fixing the socket covers in place about the socket contacts, as well as the installation ot the sign receptacles. A kit of these tools Y or turning members comprises a suitable` number of tools that will lit the standard sign receptacles and lamp socket caps. It has been Jfound that all vthese turning members, however, may be used with al single handle of the proper design so that it is necessary to carry only one handle; theelectrician-can merely remove one tool and replace it with another. TheV present inventionu preferably contemplates a quick detachableconnection for this purpose, although for some purposes,

the turning member and handle may be made without the quick detachable connection. p Other and further objects of the invention ceeds. l Y

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for purposes of illustration, a form of handle to interchangeably hold the turning members, as well as two typical Vforms of turningmembers or tools, and the usel of the handle and such members in manipulating the socket parts. Y

In these drawings: y Y

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the handle, and showing the use of the handle in lixing the socket cover in place about the socket; p

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the head or upper end of the 50 handle only y will be pointed out as the description pro.

Fig.4 3 is avsectional view with parts in elevation showing a form ofturning member particularly. arranged for operating on either ottwotorms ot porcelain sign receptacles in common use, the receptacles being indicatedV adjacent the turning member;

4 is` an end view ot the turning member of Fig. 3 taken in the Vdirection of the arrow 4; Y

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, with parts in` elevation, showing a sign receptacle mounted in a shell or rosette, and showing the use of a tool in tightening the sign receptaclev in place;` i A i Y F ig. '6 is a perspective view of a form of turning member for use in tightening? the caps of brass sockets onto the supporting standard; and

Fig. is an elevational view showing the use of the tool of Fig. 6. Y

i As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a hollow wooden handle 10 is provided with a metal head 11 securely 4mounted thereon. The

upper end 12 of this head is substantially cylindrical, the axis Aof the cylinder coincidlng with the axis ofthe handle 10; the head 12, however, is not strictly cylindrical, being s non-circular by a key V13 and is provided with `a spring-,pressed ball 14.7' The size ofthe upperend 12 of the head and the key 13 is such that this part of the head will pass inside the screw shell contact 14 of' a lamp socket, such as indicated'at 15. The head 11 of the tool handle is also provided with a skirt'or ri1n16-and is recessed at 17, these parts being'ot the proper diameter and depth to receive the lower end 18 of the cover 19 otthesocket 15. The side walls of the skirt s 16 are slitted `as indicated ais-20 to provide spring members which hold the end of the socket cover in place on the tool.` The tool handle and head are adapted to receive various turning members such as shown at 21 and 22 in Figs. 4 and 6. These turningmembers have holes 23 and keyways 24 to lit the head of the tool handle, and take various j'torms and shapes depending upon the particular work for which they are intended.

The turning member 21 shown more particularly in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is designed for use with porcelain sign receptacles. The turning member 21 has a central hole 23 and keyway 24, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the turning member 21 is mounted on the head 12, the head 12 fitting into the hole 23, the key 13 on the head 12 fitting into the keyway 24 on'the turning' member, whereby turning of the`haiidley will turnthe head 21.

The standard sign receptacles on the market are made either as'indicated lgenerally at 25 in Fig. 3, or are provided with a ring such as indicated at 26 in Figs-3 and 5. The ring of the receptacle 25 has circumferentially disposed corrugations 27, while the ring 26used` in the more common form of sign receptacle has corrugations 28 disposed about a conica-l surface. The turning member 21 is provided with'internal corrugations 29 to fit the eX- teriial corrugatio'ns 27 on the ring of the receptacle '25, while the opposite end of the turning member 21 is outwardly iiared a small amountiand is provided Withcorrugations 30`whicl fit the sloping corrugations 28 on the receptacle ring 26. l

The outside diameter of the latter mentionedend of the turning member 21, is, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, made-the same as the outside diameter of theV ring 26 on the signreceptacle. The ends of the corrugations 30 take the form of teeth such as indicated at 3l so that the tool may be fitted closely onto theV porcelain. These teeth may be used to engage with-lugs carried by certain types of metallic rings used around a lamp socket. It is common to use these sign receptacles in shells or rosettes which are so shaped that the porcelain ringliesvery close to the side -fwalls of the shell as indicated in Fig. 5. By making the outside diameter of the `turning member no greater than the outside diameter of the ring, it will be seen that one can insert the turningmember in'restricted areas in which it would be impossible to' insert fingers or Vany tool larger in diameter than the sign receptacle. It will thus `be apparent that the turning-member may be successfullyused to tighten or loosen the porcelain rings in the sign receptacles of this type," no matter how little room is available in the shell in which the sign receptacle is being mounted.

Manufacturers of lamp -sockets provide them with capsfand shells having various forms of locking devices and in varioussizes, l and'on account of the various conditions to extending from one end-to the other so that the member may fit inside the corrugations'to be found on a socket cap'19 no matter which Way it is placed on the handle. The tool head '22 on'the'hand-le; insert it intofthef'capeand ltighten the cap in place.

The tool above described is also suitable foi attaching the covers of sockets to the cap -ofthe lam-p'socket. The .lower end of the socket cover may be placed in the upper end ofthe tool handle as indicated in Fig. 1 and thel socket cover forced into position inside theicapto 'lock it in'plac'e, thereby making it unnecessaryf'ora person to'push against the sharplower edge of thesocket cover with the hand".

inasmuch as thel head 12of the turning member is made of such size that it will pass inside' the shell Contact of a lamp socket and as the lower end of the sockctc'over is of smaller diameter than the'inside of the socket cap', it is obvious'that the turning members' will reston the upper end of the skirt 16.

The'pie'sentdrawingsshow a tool handle which is adapted `to interchangeably receive a number ofdifferent shaped turning members suitableffor use in various operations customarily met in assembling lightingy fixtures'iand lighting equipment. By providing a single' handle andV interchangeable turning members," it is lpossible lto quickly attach a too'lfor "whatever operation it is desired to perform..v Itis of course obvious, however, that where interchangeabilitylis not necessary onev can provide tools fin which the turning element vis permanently attached to the han'- dle,for in which rit cannot be' quickly removed.

Itlis "obvious'th'at the turning members for use with theporcelain receptaclesl need not havey both sets 4of corrugations as shown in Fig.l 3. lOne could provide a turning member having -a single set of' corrugations to lit the desired sign receptacle.

It is 'obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions,v and I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but a few of the many possible forms'.` Various" modifications and chaiigesibeing possible, l do'not limit myself in any-wayfwith respect thereto.v

What is claimed is 1. -In a tool for manipulating lanipssocket parts`,a handle 'and a head carried by the handle, the head having a non-circular upper end of small diameter for detachably and'nonrotatably supporting a turning member, and an upwardly directed rim for engaging with -the lower end of a metal lamp socket cover for placing the cover on the socket, the said sinall -diameter upper end being Within and l above the rim capable of entering finto the llamp socket.

2. In a tool for manipulating lamp-socket parts, a handle, a head carried by the handle, the outer free upper end of the head having a peripheral rim for receiving a socket cover to facilitate assembling it with the other parts of a lamp socket, and a non-circular extension of a size to pass into the lamp socket, the extension being within and above the rim arranged to detachably Aand non-rotatably support a turning member whichrests against the said rim. Y Y i 3. In a tool for manipulating lamp-socket parts, ahandle, a head carried bythe handle, the outer free upper end of the head having a peripheral rim for receiving a socket cover to facilitate assembling` itwith the other parts of a lamp socket and a non-circular extension of a size to ypass into the lamp socket, a turning member non-rotatably supported on the extension, and spring means for providing a quick detachable connection with the turning member.

4. A tool for manipulating sign receptacles comprising a handle, a head thereon, the outside diameter of the head being substantially the diameter of the outside oi the outer end of the sign receptacle, the head having a recessed end having conical side walls provided with corrugations to lit the corrugations on the outer end of the sign receptacle, the corrugations ending in teeth at the end of the head.

5. A tool for manipulating sign recepta cles, the outside diameter of the tool being substantially the outside diameter of the` the end of the tool end of a sign receptacle, having teeth and interiorly dispose-d longitudinally extending oblique ridges adapted to enter into the corrugations on the outer conical end of the sign receptacle.

6. In a tool Jfor manipulating lamp socket parts, the combination or a handle, an openended turning member 'detachably and nonrotatably positionable on the handle, the opposite ends of the turning member being provided with dinierent types of longitudinally extending corrugations, each set of corrugations being adapted to engage with a particular type of sign receptacle, the'turning member being reversible with respect to the handle whereby either set of corrugations may be placed in operative position.

7 In a tool for manipulating lamp socket parts, the combination of a handle having a head freely insertible into the shell contact of a lamp socket, and having an outer rim to trictionally receive the metal shell of the lamp socket, whereby a tool for manipulation of the socket is provided, and an openended turning member detachably engageable with said head, means for securing the with circumferentially arranged corrugations, for engagement with the corrugations on the usual porcelain collar of a sign receptacle, the handle and turning member together providing a tool Jfor manipulation of said porcelain collar.

8. In a tool for manipulating lamp socket parts, the combination of a handle,an openended turning member, shaped at one end to engage detachablyand non-rotatably with Vthe handle, the other end havingadiameter substantially that oi the usual porcelain collar oi a sign receptacle, said end of the turning member being outwardlyflared a small amount, and longitudinally extending corrugations terminating in a row of teeth at the extreme end of the flared part.

9. ln a tool lfor manipulating lamp socket parts, the combination of `a handle'provided with a substantially circular head, a turning member provided with a substantially circular hole into which said head is adapted to fit, means `for securing said head and turning member so 'that they turn together, the turning member at its outer end having spaced gripping corrugations formed therein, the corrugations being spaced apart so as to lit between the corrugations on the porcelain collar of a sign receptacle.

10. ln a tool for manipulating lamp socket parts, ythe combination of a handle provided with a substantially cylindrical head, the axis of the head coinciding with the axis of the handle, a turning member having a hole adapted to take over said cylindrical head, key means for securing the head and turning member so that they rotate together, the turning member at its outer end having spaced gripping corrugations adapted to engage the corrugations on the porcelain collar of a sign head and the turning member against relative rotary movement, the outer' end of the turning member being substantially larger than a metal shell lamp socket, and provided 

